A Toronto front yard garden clean up in the Annex

Front yard garden clean up in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood

Here are some before and after pictures of a small front yard yard weeding job completed for a client in the Annex area of Toronto last fall. One of the most common weeds in Toronto gardens is wood sorrel (Oxalis dilleni) and this front area was smothered by this sorrel. Hand digging was the only practical way of removing it as the weed grew between the periwinkle groundcover as well.

The Annex front garden cleanup before by
Paul Jung Gardening Services Toronto

The Annex front garden cleanup after by
Paul Jung Gardening Services Toronto

The Annex Toronto front garden cleanup before
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

The Annex Toronto front garden cleanup before
by Paul Jung Gardening Services

The Annex Toronto front garden weeding clean up
before by Paul Jung Gardening Services

The Annex Toronto front garden weeding clean up
after by Paul Jung Gardening Services

An East Danforth, Toronto new garden design and installation

A new East Danforth garden in Toronto's Coxwell and Danforth area

Elizabeth hired me last spring to revamp her small backyard garden in east-end Toronto. The site is in full sun although the north-facing part, of course, receives less intensive light and heat during the day. We decided to keep the small redbud tree, smokebush and lilac shrub and move many of the existing perennials. I felt that there were actually two gardens here: a shade garden facing north and a pollinator garden facing south. Another interesting feature is that there are two berms on either side of the path shown below. (I guess that was done by the previous owner/gardener when faced with the problem of having to deal with the excess fill.)

The "before" shot below shows two Feather Reed grasses flanking the gravel path. There's also a very mature "Annabelle" smooth hydrangea on the right side which fills in quickly and blocks much of the view of the garden from the patio. I removed the grasses and hydrangea to improve the sight lines from the patio and house.

Coxwell East Danforth backyard renovation before 

There was a lack of flower colour in the current garden and Elizabeth was interested in attracting pollinators and having blooms throughout the summer. Her mother also loved peonies so we came up with a plant list that included "Honorine Jobert" Japanese Anemone, Japanese Forest Grass, "Beni-kaze" Japanese Forest Grass, "Paul's Glory" Hosta, Anise Hyssop, "Jacob Cline" beebalm, Butterfly weed, "First Arrival" Itoh hybrid (tree) peony and "Bartzella" Itoh hybrid (tree) peony.

Coxwell East Danforth backyard renovation after

Below is another "before" picture, looking east.

Coxwell Danforth backyard renovation before

I kept the Creeping Jenny groundcover and extended the chartreuse/yellow colour around the curve by lining Japanese Forest Grass all the way to the back left (north-east) corner. I also dug out and divided all the Solomon Seal under the background redbud tree and placed them in groups in the shadier bed to the right (north facing) bed.

Along the back fence, we chose to plant two Japanese climbing hydrangeas to hide (or at least minimize) the look of the the board on board fencing that surrounds the garden.

The space where the smooth hydrangea used to be (bottom right triangular space) is now occupied by an existing herbaceous peony.

Coxwell Danforth backyard renovation after 

Coxwell Danforth backyard garden renovation before

Coxwell Danforth backyard renovation after

The black mulch does really stand out against the yellow perennials. (I'd just be as happy laying down a natural cedar mulch that's not dyed.)

It should take a few years before the perennials get established but this should be a full and colourful garden compared to what existed before.

Toronto Danforth Coxwell backyard renovation after

Allan Gardens Conservatory Christmas Flower Show for 2015

Floating away on waves of poinsettias

Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess. (Oscar Wilde)

Oscar was on to something, I reminded myself, as I visited this year's Christmas Flower Show the other day. Flower shows need to be excessively elaborate and a little over-the-top to create memories from something as mundane as a poinsettia. I've talked about "disposable plants" before and Euphorbia pulcherrima certainly fits the description. You buy one or few to decorate your place in early December and if you're wise, toss them out on January 2. Seeing a leggy and scrawny poinsettia in March makes me instinctively reach for it and aim for the nearest composter. So, my garden muses readers, you can enjoy the poinsettia experience guilt-free by reading this post.

What follows is excessive poinsettia content,with a few tropical hibiscus thrown in!

Layers of poinsettias Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Christmas Flower Show 2015 

Floral tobogganer at Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015

Helleborus niger "HGC Jacob"
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015

Layers of poinsettias at the
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2015 Christmas Flower Show

Layers of poinsettias
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015

Massed poinsettias
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 2015 Christmas Flower Show

Massed poinsettias at the
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 2015 Christmas Flower Show

Poinsettias massed at the
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 2015 Christmas Flower Show

White cyclamen at the
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Christmas Flower Show 2015 

Poinsettias tropical plants at the
Allan Gardens Conservatory
2015 Christmas Flower Show

Red tropical hibiscus rosa-sinensis
at the Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015 

Floral skater at the
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Christmas Flower Show 2015

Floral skater at the
Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015 

2015 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show
layers of red and pink while poinsettias

2015 Allan Gardens
Conservatory Christmas Flower Show
layers of red, pink, white poinsettias 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015
Christmas Flower Show
layers of poinsettias

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2015
Christmas Flower Show
layers of red, pink and white poinsettias

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
Amaryllis and bromeliads

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
 layers of poinsettias

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
 layers of red, pink and white poinsettias

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
massed poinsettias

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
"mountain" topiary 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
"mountain" topiary with toy train 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
pink cyclamen

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
pink double tropical hibiscus

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
pink poinsettia 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
pink poinsettia closeup 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
 pink variegated poinsettia closeup 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015 poinsettias 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
 poinsettias and crotons 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
 red speckled poinsettia

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
red tropical hibiscus

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
 red and white cyclamen 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015 topiary 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
tropical Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
white cyclamen 

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
white ornamental cabbage

Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015
 white poinsettia 

Amaryllis and bromeliads at the
 Allan Gardens Conservatory
Christmas Flower Show 2015 

Whew! You've made it to the end which is fitting. This is my last post for the year and I thank you for reading my blog in 2015. I hope you've enjoyed reading my "muses" (missives?) as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Regards,

Paul